Tissue receptacle



July 20, 1965 M. LEVY 3,

TISSUE RECEPTACLE Filed Oct. 22, 1962 FIG. 6

FIG. 7

i 7 INVENTOR.

. 124 A4 1517 BY HEW Ca r F t side wall 18 is preferably cylindrical.

United States Patent 3,195,502 TISSUE RECEPTACLE Ira M. Levy, Yonkers,N.Y., assignor to The Technicon Company, Inc., Chauncey, N.Y., acorporation of New York 7 Filed Oct. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 231,966

6 Claims. (Cl. 118-500) This invention relates to the art of processinghuman or animal tissue for microscopic examination and, moreparticularly, to receptacles for holding tissue specimens for immersionin the liquids with which the tissue is treated for such processing.

The primary object of the invention is to provide tissue receptacleswith simple and inexpensive identification means so that a large numberof tissue specimens can be processed simultaneously without danger ofconfusion as to the identity of the specimens.

An ancillary object is to provide an identification device which can bereadily applied to and removed from the tissue receptacle and which issufliciently inexpensive to be used once and thereafter discarded.

I The above and other objects, features and advantages of the inventionwill be fully understood from the following description considered inconjunction with the accompanying illustrative drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of the receptacle according to the presentlypreferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a side view thereof;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional View on the line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the identification device itself;

FIG. 6 is a side view of another form of the identification device; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view on the line 77 of FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the receptacle 1% comprises aperforate receptacle body 12 and a removable perforate cover bothpreferably made of stainless steel but which can be made of othermaterials including various metals which are inert to the liquids withwhich the tissue specimen are treated. Said receptacle is pro vided withan identification member 15 (FIG. 5) hereinafter described in detail.

Ordinarily; the liquids in which the tissue is immersed while in theperforate receptacle are, in the sequence of immersion, fixatives,dehydrants, clearing agents and melted paraffin, and ordinarily anautomatic immersion apparatus provided with a perforate basket to hold anumber of receptacles 10 is employed so that a large number of tissuereceptacles can be put through each of the several liquid immersionoperations simultaneously. Suitable immersion apparatus or tissueprocessors are shown, for example, by United States Patents Nos.2,341,197 and 2,872,893, and others owned by the assignee a of thisapplication.

The receptacle body 12 comprises a bottom 16 and a peripheral side wall18, both of which are provided, as here shown, with a plurality of smallopenings 29. Said The cover 14 comprises a flexible disk 22 providedwith the circumferentially spaced fingers 24 which are integral withsaid disk. Because of the flexibility of disk 22 it can be flexedinwardly, i.e., toward the bottom 16 of the receptacle, from thedisposition shown by the drawings so as to automatically move thefingers radially away from and thereby out of holding engagement withthe side wall so that cover 14 can be easily removed from the receptaclebody 12. In order to secure the cover 14 to the receptacle body 12, saidcover with its fingers 24 in outwardly sprung disposition is placed inposition and said fingers aisassz Patented July 20, 1965 are pressedsimultaneously against the side wall 18 resulting in disk 22 beingautomatically flexed to the outwardly convex condition illustrated byFIGS. 3 and 4 with concomitant firm spring engagement of said fingerswith side wall 18 for releasably securing the cover in position.

The identification member 15 is preferably of the construction shown byFIGS. 1 to 5. It can be made of any suitable material, for example, thincardboard or comparatively stiff paper sufficiently strong to resistdisintegration by the tissue-processing liquids. It will be understoodthat member 15 can be made of any inert sheet material on whichidentification data can be written or otherwise applied. Said member 15has a perforate part 26, the outer marginal edge portion of whichengages the outer edge of wall 13, and an integral part or tab 28 whichprojects from part 26 and is positioned externally of the receptacle. Itwill be noted that member 15 is releasably secured in position by theengagement therewith of the marginal edge portion of disk 22 of thecover which releasably clamps part 26 against the edge of wall 18 asclearly shown by FIG. 4. It will be noted that the holes 30 in member 15provide a passage for the liquid which enters and leaves thereceptaclethrough the holes in cover 14. The holes in the receptacle body andcover can be small enough to prevent the passage therethrough of minutepieces of tissue, for example biopsy tissue. The holes 30 are preferablyof the same size as the holes of the receptacle and are arranged so asto register with the holes in cover disk 22. As FIG. 4 is on a muchlarger scale than the actual receptacle, part 26 of the cover disk 22 isthere shown spaced from the confronting surface of said disk, but in theactual receptacle the confronting surfaces of part 30 and cover disk 22are much closer to each other.

It will be understood that tab 28 provides a surface on theidentification member 15 to receive the patients name or number or othertissue-identification data, so that this information is available forinspection without removal of the cover 14. Preferably the tab 28,which, as shown, is positioned between two fingers 24 of the cover,extends from one to the other of these two fingers.

The identification member 15A shown by FIGS. 6 and 7 is the same asmember 15 except that instead of having a part 26 provided with a liquidpassage formed by a plurality of openings, it has an annular part 32which has an inner edge 34 which defines the liquid passage in the formof a single opening. It will be understood that when member 15A is used,part 34 engages the outer edge of wall 18 and is releasably clamped inposition by the marginal edge of cover disk 22.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described, and thatcertain changes in the form and arrangement of parts and in the specificmanner of practicing the invention may be made without departing fromthe underlying idea or principles of this invention within the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tissue receptacle for use in processing human or animal tissuespecimens for microscopic examination, comprising a receptacle body anda removable cover therefor releasably securable to said receptacle body,said receptacle having a plurality of openings for the passage oftissue-processing liquid into the receptacle, and an identificationmember mountable in said receptacle to identify the tissue therein, saididentification member having a plurality of openings for the passagetherethrough of tissue processing fluid, said cover comprising aflexible disk and circumferentially spaced fingers releasably engageablewith the receptacle body for said securement of the cover thereto, saididentification memher having a part projecting from said first mentionedpart to a position externally of the receptacle between 1 two of saidfingers of the cover.

2. A tissue receptacle for usein processingthuman or 7 animal tissuespecimens. for microscopic examination, 7

comprising. a receptacle body and a removal cover therefor releasablysecurable to said receptacle body, said receptacle havinga plurality ofopenings for the passage 1 of tissue-processing liquid into thereceptacle, and an 7 projecting externallyof the identification, membermountable :in said receptacle to identification member mountable in saidreceptacle to";

identify the tissue therein, said cover comprising a fiexible disk andcircumferentially spaced fingers releasably engageable with thereceptacle body for said, securement of the cover thereto,saidbidentification member having a part projecting externally ofther'eceptacle between identify the tissue therein, said covercomprising a flexible disk and circumferentially spaced fingersreleasably engageable with the receptacle-body for said securementof'the cover thereto, said identification member having a partprojectin'g'externally of the receptacle between two of said fingers ofthe cover, said identification memher having a plurality-ofopeningstherethrough in registry with it least some of said 'openings'ofthe receptacle forthe passage of the processing liquid;

3. A tissue receptacle for use in'processing human or two ofsaid'fingers of the cover, said identification member havingfa liquidpassage therein in registry-with at least some of saidopenings of thereceptacle, said externallyprojecting part of said identification memberextending circumferentially from one of said two fingers animal tissuespecimens for. microscopic examination,

comprising I-a receptacle body and a removable coverj thereforreleasably securable to said receptacle body, said receptacle having apluralityof openings for the passage of tissue-processing liquid'intothereceptacle, and an identification member mountable in said'receptacle to identify the tissue th'erein, said cover comprising aflexible disk and circumferentially spaced fingers releasably'engageablewith the receptacle body for said securement of the cover thereto, saididentification member having 'a part projecting externally of thereceptacle between two of said fingers of the cover, saididentification'member having a liquid passage therein in registry withat least some of said openings of the receptacle.

4. A tissue receptacle for use in'processing human or animal tissuespecimens for microscopic examination, comprising a receptacle body'anda removable coverv therefor releasably securableto said receptacle body,said receptacle having a plurality of openings for the passage oftissue-processing liquid into the receptacle, and an identificationmember mountable insaid receptacleto identify the tissue therein, "saididentification memberhaving an annular part within said receptacle anddefining a liquid passage in registry with at least some ofsaid'receptacle openings, said coverv comprising a flexible disk andcircumferentially spaced fingers releasably engageable with thereceptacle body for said securement of the cover thereto, saididentification member having a part to the other of said two fingers ofthe cover.

6. A tissue receptacle for use in processing human or animal tissuespecimens 'for microscopic examination, comprising a receptacle body andav removable cover therefor releasably securable to said acceptablebody, said. receptacle having a plurality of openings for the passage oftissue-processing liquid into' the receptacle, and an identificationmember mountable in said receptacle to identify the tissue therein,saidfidentification member havingfan annular part within said receptacleand defining a liquid passage in registry with at least some of saidreceptacle openings said cover comprising a flexible disk andcircumferentially spaced fingers releasably en-- gageable withthe'receptacle body for said securement of the cover thereto, saididentification member having a part-projectingfrom said annular part toaposition externally of the receptacle between twovof said fingers of thecover, said externally projecting part of said identification memberextending circumferentially, from one of said twofingers, to the otherof said two fingers of the cover.,

- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES-PATENTS 1,464,237 8/23Beyer 2 20-60 2,024,2 7 12/35 Jones 220-60, 2,800,102 7 57v Weiskopf;11s 502 x 2,837,055 ,6/58:;Whitehead' 118'500 RICHARD D. NEVIUS,Primary Examiner.

1. A TISSUE RECEPTACLE FOR USE IN PROCESSING HUMAN OR ANIMAL TISSUESPECIMENTS FOR MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION, COMPRISING A RECEPTACLE BODY ANDA REMOVABLE COVER THEREFOR RELEASABLY SECURABLE TO SAID RECEPTACLE BODY,SAID RECEPTACLE HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS FOR THE PASSAGE OFTISSUE-PROCESSING LIQUID INTO THE RECEPTACLE, AND AN IDENTIFICATIONMEMBER MOUNTABLE IN SAID RECEPTACLE TO IDENTIFY THE TISSUE THEREIN, SAIDIDENTIFICATION MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS FOR THE PASSAGETHERETHROUGH OF TISSUE PROCESSING FLUID, SAID COVER COMPRISING AFLEXIBLE DISK AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED FINGERS